Weddingbee boards

I know we have an unique situation - most people do not need to include 40+ cats when considering a new place to live. In other words, we need acres of land and either a barn or a place to build a barn (the Amish around here can toss one up in 2 days!). Luckily we are already pre-qualified for a mortgage and have the funds for down payment, closing costs, etc.

The problem is that every listing our realtor (a long-time freind of hubby's) sends a listing, hubby finds something wrong with it and I am beginning to wonder if there will ever be a property he likes. For example, there is one property with a renovated 1850 farmhouse - fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, huge kitchen, huge rooms, etc. Even better, there is an awesome horse barn - huge, heated, with water and electric that would be perfect for the cats. In our price range too! And why doesn't hubby like it - because there is "too much open ground and it would take too long to mow it". Augggggggh! I told him I would gladly mow it but he says we must think of the future (we are in our early 50s). I said so we can plant some freaking trees. He replied that we will be dead by the time they are grown. Every property I have liked so far, he finds something wrong with it! He is driving me crazy!

I know! I even suggested making part of it a meadow planting with native wildflowers. Pretty and it won't need to be mowed right? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

You could buy some cows or a goat to eat up all that grass!

It sounds like:

1. You guys need to have an open, honest talk about what is really bothering him.  When we were looking for a house, my husband was very much the same as yours - finally it came out that he didn't really feel ready.  We continued to look, but it took a couple more months for him to feel ready to make the financial commitment of owning a home and to fall in love with our place.
2. You need to actually go to the houses you are looking at.  While you can sometimes tell immediately from a listing that a house is no way, no how, most of the time you can't find the potential in a house unless you are in it.  For example, you could say no way to a house because it only has 2 bathrooms and you really wanted 3, but then go to the house and realize that the space and plumbing alignment, etc. would make it super easy to put in a third bath... or renovate the kitchen, or plant some trees, or whatever.  If you only look at listings, it's really hard to fall in love with a place, which it sounds like your husband needs...

@7SEVENJ9: Oh yes. I didn't bring them here, they are all ferals and dumped pets from the nearby state forest lands. Apparently there is a huge neon sign in the woods that says "soft-hearted sucker lives over there". It took 5 years of trapping and a whole lot of money to get them all neutered and vaccinated. My daughter was actually the animal rescuer of the family. When she died unexpectedly, I continued on as a living memorial to her. They are not all in the house - I have insulated mini-barns stuffed with straw for warmth, heatedd water bowls, feeding stations, etc.